Luxury Fyre Festival in Bahamas Islands Collapses in Chaos

Storyful•28 April 2017

A self-proclaimed luxury music festival in the Bahamas’ Exuma islands disintegrated into chaos on April 27. Festival-goers were met by scenes of disorganization.

People who made it to Fyre Festival, which had been promoted mainly on Instagram with a video featuring bikini-clad models, shared images that appeared to show half-built tents, a ramshackle catering system, and organizers dropping attendees’ luggage out of a shipping container. William N. Finley IV, a festival attendee, shared this footage from the festival and from the airport as he and others tried to leave. Showing the accommodation on site, Finley said: “Basically, these are disaster-relief tents. That’s where we’re staying.”

With many of those who had made it to the festival quickly trying to leave, scenes of chaos then emerged from Exuma International Airport . Airport officials were said to have closed the doors, locking passengers inside with no food or water as they waited to fly out.

Organizers on Thursday, April 27, told festival-goers that due to circumstances beyond their control, “all inbound charter flights to the Exumas have been canceled,” adding that refunds would be issued.

A statement on the Fyre website said the festival was postponed. “Due to circumstances out of our control, the physical infrastructure was not in place on time and we are unable to fulfill on that vision safely and enjoyably for our guests,” the statement said. Credit: William N. Finley IV via Storyful